Nuns erupt in joy as Mother Teresa is declared saint

Kolkata, Sept 4 (PTI) Not known to express their emotionin public, nuns of the Missionaries of Charity today cheeredloudly, clapped freely and rang bells the moment Pope Francisdeclared Mother Teresa a saint. Decked up with larger-than-life posters of the late RomanCatholic nun, the Mother House, headquarters of thecongregation and house of the saint, was kept open throughoutthe day as visitors poured in to watch the ceremony live onbig TV screens and offer flowers at her tomb. In the afternoon when the Pope declared the ‘BlessedTeresa of Calcutta’ a saint in the Vatican City, the nuns andvisitors present in the Mother House broke into a loud roundof applause. The nuns were not shy in cheering for the Mother in a loudvoice and ringing bells in her honour. There was special mass at 6 AM to celebrate the day beforebreakfast. Nuns decorated the Mother House with flowers, portraits ofTeresa and lights. One wall decoration read, "Saint Teresa of Calcutta Prayfor Us." The sisters of the Order, who don’t watch TV or usemobile phones, made an exception as they all remained glued tospecially-arranged large screens. Around 300 of them gathered from nearby homes to watch thecanonisation ceremony live. A large number of foreign visitors also thronged the nunquarters. PTI NIK CRSC